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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com